Residents of a council-owned block of flats say their cars have been destroyed by rats escaping from a sinkhole that has been left unrepaired for six months.

The unexpected pit, at Manvers Court in Sneinton, has been reported to their property managers numerous times by neighbours. However, half a year on, it remains patched over with a yellow plastic lid. One resident estimates that 22 vehicles have been wrecked by the rodents chewing through wires.

Nottingham City Council confirmed a contractor should be on site early next week to fix the issue, which was reported to the local authority as a "cracked and uneven path", reports . Denise Drury, who has lived in the block for 42 years, said: "My son lost his van. He took it for an MOT, and they lifted the bonnet up and they asked him if he'd been anywhere where there is a lot of rats. They found rat droppings in the bonnet.

"Then they found a cable had been chewed through. They repaired it but he was out driving one day, back down here from up north, and his car started making a funny noise and then smoking. He had to get it towed and it was ruined."

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Residents believe that the sinkhole has been caused in the first place by rats burrowing into the soft ground under the paving slabs and bricks in the entrance to the property. Initially, when it was reported, the council only provided the two orange warning barriers to warn people that it was there.

A few months later the yellow board was put down to temporarily cover the hole up. But it can be dislodged easily and is a temporary solution.

Denise said: "We've reported and reported and reported. The caretakers have reported it too. We think they're breeding down there. Nobody bothers with us."

The hole allegedly leads down to sewers, with rat droppings visible from above. Residents have even seen rats scuttling around in the car park, which has led BMW owner Mohammed to make his own anti-rat solution. Made of cayenne pepper, vinegar, garlic, chilli flakes, rosemary and mint, Mohammed has sprayed his vehicle with the solution in an attempt to fend off the rodents, although he has already lost a Renault to the rats.

He said: "I wanted that car for my daughter. It's really sad. But the rats ate every single red wire. They thought it was meat. The cost to repair it and get it back on the road was not worth it. But I can't lose my BMW. I'm not rich. We're not rich. We're poor. Something has to be done."

Resident Lucio Valentino added: "There are kids that play out here too. That's an added concern."

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “The contractor should be on site early next week to fix the issue, which was reported to us as a cracked and uneven path. We have already carried out drainage surveys on the site and fixed anything that needed doing. We will also be doing another survey of all of the drains starting next week to look for any more deterioration.

"At the moment, we don’t believe the issue with this manhole is causing more pest activity in the area. However, pest control visited in October and baited the area and we will continue to carry out investigations when issues like these are flagged to us."